How many smoke and vape shops is too many?
The Morgantown Planning Commission is considering a change in zoning ordinances to limit any more vape/tobacco stores from coming to downtown. The concern is that too many such stores make High Street and its offshoots a less welcoming place for families.
We can certainly respect that concern, especially considering all the work the City of Morgantown has put into reviving downtown. And, to be fair, a quick Google Maps search will turn up five smoke and vape businesses between Willey Street and Walnut Street.
But we don’t think it’s good practice for the city to change ordinances to keep certain businesses out. Whether five smoke and vape shops in one area is too many should be up to consumers. If all five shops can thrive in close proximity, then there is obviously high demand for their products.
It seems to us that the concern is more about aesthetics and atmosphere than any issue of safety. The City of Morgantown is trying very hard to make High Street the kind of place where all kinds of people — including parents with kids — can stroll down the sidewalk and pop in and out of the locally owned businesses. Downtown already has a bustling nightlife; the city has been encouraging an equally busy daylight-life.
Instead of changing the zoning to limit what it considers non-family-friendly shops, the city should shift focus to maintaining family-friendly storefronts and increase efforts to attract the kind of businesses that reflect the city’s desired clientele.
Many main streets and historic districts have and enforce certain maintenance and curb-appeal standards. No one would argue that businesses have the right to advertise their wares, but there have always been reasonable limitations on advertising products geared specifically to adults.
The City of Morgantown could issue guidelines for keeping storefronts appropriate for all ages: Shops could be required to keep adult-only products out of the front windows and replace big, bright, bold signage with more subtle (and perhaps adult-height) signs.
Focusing on the appearance of the storefronts would allow the city to cultivate the atmosphere it desires downtown without limiting what businesses can open.
